Headscratchers / Stalag 17

• Just what exactly was Duke's position in the barracks? Hoffy was the Barracks Chief, Price was the Security Officer, but what about Duke? He seemed to have some kind of power of authority over the other prisoners in the barracks for him to always in be on whatever little scheme Hoffy and/or Price were cooking up, yet it's never really made clear just how that is. And all co-author Donald Bevan has said was that he was "The Heavy" (though more specifically, that Duke was invented by screenwriter Billy Wilder, because Animal and Duke were essentially the same character in the original play, but Wilder split the personality traits into two separate characters for the movie).
  • He seems like the Lancer to Hoffy.
  • He describes himself as a vigilante at one point, so he seems to have a position of authority due to force of personality but is willing to take action on his own even if not sanctioned by the barracks leadership.
• Why didn’t any of the prisoners notice that when they left the barracks after an air raid warning, Price was not with them, but back in the barracks with Schultz? At least one of them could have deduced Price, not Sefton, was the Mole.
  • Doing the air raid siren at night would mean that no one could see who was around, and headcount wouldn't be taken until after they were given the all clear signal. The mole could easily say that he was there the whole time and none would be the wiser.
• Where do they get the supplies for escapees, i.e. French and Swiss currency, clothes, and work papers?
  • Work papers were probably forged. Clothes, either made or stolen. Money, if they had any, could have been stolen from guards or they were allowed to exchange what they had on them when captured.
  • Check out books on real life P.O.W.s and their resourcefulness. In addition to what was already mentioned, they traded with guards and used whatever was at hand.